Tappet valve silencer



Aug. 21, 1951 s. G. HOUSER ET AL TAPPET VALVE SILENCER Filed Nov. 2,1949' if m b INVENTOR i atenteci Aug. 21 1951 TAPPET VALVE SILENCERSamuel G. Houser and Joseph F. Kibler, Washington, D. 0., assignor to H.& K. Valve Silencer Company, a copartnership Application November 2,1949, Serial N 0. 125,002

This invention relates to improvements in valve-operating mechanisms ofinternal combustion engines.

It is an object of the invention to provide a tappet arrangement forinclusion in the valveoperating mechanism of internal combustionengines, said tappet arrangement being designed to operate insubstantially silent manner and being capable of easy adjustment.

A further object is to provide a tappet arrangement constituted ofreadily assembled, easily fabricated parts embodying standard screws,nuts, threads, and the like or parts which can be readily produced inquantity at relatively low cost.

A still further object is to provide a tappet arrangement which caneasily be substituted for tappets at present in use on internalcombustion engines.

Valve tappets used on internal combustion engines, especially automobileengines, are a constant source of trouble in that the clearancerelations between certain of the parts must be held to close tolerancesin order to produce satisfactory operation of the engine. Silent orrelatively silent operation of the tappets is another factor that hasreceived considerable attention in the prior art. Thus, valve tappetshave already been proposed wherein resilient bowshaped members areinterposed. between the end of the tappet per se and the endof the pushrod. Relatively soft buttons, knobs or the like, e. g., made of plastic,etc., have been suggested as a means to reduce the noise of operation ofthe tappet, such buttons being located between the contacting surfacesof the tappet and the actuating or push rod. Among the diflicultiesencountered in the prior art in the design of noiseeliminating tappetsmay be mentioned the difficulty of efiecting adequate lubrication of thetappet mechanism and the very rapid wear to which noise eliminatinginserts are subjected.

In accordance with the present invention a valve tappet is provided ofwhich the free end that engages with the actuating rod is ofsubstantially spherical shape and cooperates with a socket of similarshape although of more ample size in the actuating arm. Thesubstantially spherically shaped end of the tappet is provided with aninsert which is urged forward by resilient actuating means containedwithin the tappet per se said insert extending through the end of saidtappet and acting as a shock-absorbing and noise-eliminating cushioningmeans. Lubrication of the resiliently urged shock-absorbing 5 Claims.(01. '12390) member is insured by coaction between the end of the tappetand the cup-shaped end of the actuating rod.

The invention will be described in conjunction With the accompanyingdrawing wherein:

Fig. 1 shows the improved tappet and its actuating rod in elevation,together with a portion of a valve rocker arm.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of the tappet.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section through the top of the push rod.

Referring in detail to the drawing, the tappet per se is constituted ofa steel tube I exteriorly provided with screw threads 2 alongsubstantially all of its length. The tube l terminates at the bottom ina head constituted of a portion 3, of slightly greater external diameterthan portion I, which terminates in a substantially spherically shapedbottom portion 4. Centrally and interiorly of the tube I is a bore whichis threaded to receive a screw, preferably of some suitable standardthread, which bears against a coiled spring 6 disposed inside the tubeI. This spring 6 bears against a piston-like member I having a head 8and a cylindrical portion of lesser diameter extending downwardlytherefrom (see Fig. 2), said head reposing against a shoulder inside thetube l serving as a limit for the downward movement of the end of thepistonlike member. The extreme end of the portion of the piston-likemember that extends through the spherical termination 4 of the tube I isrounded off as shown at 9. A lock nut I0 is provided on the upperportion of the tube I and a lock nut II on the screw 5.

The tappet of the invention is preferably used in connection with aconventional rocker arm, diagrammatically indicated by l2 in Fig. 1,although the invention is not limited to this particular use oradaptation.

When used as shown in Fig. 1, the tappet of the invention is intended tocooperate with any standard or commercially available push rod. Such arod is indicated at I3 and it carries the usual cup-shaped socket [4. Inaccordance with the invention, however, the end 4 of the tappet issmaller than the cup I4 thus leaving room for the accumulation of oilfor lubricating the pistonlike member 1 during its operation.

The tappet device of the invention is easily attached to the rocker armI2 as by removing the nut l0, screwing the threaded tube I into therocker arm I2 and locking the tube in desired position with th locknutID. The piston-like member I is inserted into the tube l, the spring 6 3placed so as to act against the head 8 of the member l and the screw 5then inserted so as to compress the spring 6 to the desired extent. Thescrew 5 can be locked in position by the locknut I. By adjusting boththe tube and the screw, the operative conditions may be varied until theoptimum result is obtained. The tappet device win then retain itsoperating position.

. The tappet device is made of parts of standard size, capable of beingworked on automatic screw machines and ordinary Standard nuts I0 and iimay be used, thus still further lowering the cost of manufacture. Thedevice can be easily and quickly dismantled, cleaned, repaired, andreassembled.

What is claimed is: v I

1. A tappet for internal combustion engines, comprising a cylindricaltappet head having a substantially spherical tappet face for cooperationwith a spherical cup-like end of a push rod, means for adjustablyconnecting the tappet to an actuator, a bore extending coaxiall throughsaid tappet head, a piston-like member extending through said bore andbeyond the outside of said spherical face, centrally thereof, a springwithin said bore, adapted to urge said piston-like member forwardly outof the bore, means projecting from the other end of the tappet foradjusting said spring whereby to regulate the recoil thrust exerted bysaid piston-like member on said spring and means for locking saidspring-adjusting means in locked position after connection is made tothe actuator. d

2. A tappet system for internal combustion engines, comprising incombination with a cylindrical tappet head having a, substantiallyspherical tappet face at one end thereof for cooperation with aspherical cup-like end of a push-rod, wherein said face is of smallerspherical size than the inside spherical shape of said cup-like end,whereby to permit lubricant to collect between non-contacting portionsof said tappet face and said cup-like end, a bore extending through'said head coaxially, a piston-like member extendinng through said boreand beyond the outside of said. spherical tappet face centrally thereof,a spring within said bore adapted to urge said piston-like memberforwardly out of the bore, means extending from the other end of thetappet for adjusting said spring whereby to regulate the recoil thrustexerted by said piston-like member on said spring and means for lockingsaid spring-adjusting means in locked position.

3. A tappet for internal combustion engines, comprising a cylindricaltappet having a substantiall spherically shaped tappet face at one endthereof for cooperation with a spherical cup-like end of a push rod, abore extending coaxially through said tappet, a pistonlike memberextending through said bore and beyond the outside of said sphericalface, centrally thereof, said piston-like member terminating exteriorlyin a rounded surface, a spring within said bore, adapted to urge saidpiston-like member forward, means at the other end of the tapp t foradjusting said spring whereby to regulate the recoil thrust exerted bysaid piston-like member on said spring and means for locking saidspringadjusting means in locked position.

4. A tappet for internal combustion engines, having a substantiallyspherical tappet face for cooperation with a spherical cup-like end of apush rod, means for adjustably connecting the tappet to an actuator, a,bore extending coaxially through said tappet, a piston-like memberextending through said bore and beyond the outside of saidsphericalface, centrally thereof, a spring within said here, adapted to urge saidpiston-like member forwardly out of the bore, means at the other end ofthe tappet for adjusting said spring whereby to regulate the recoilthrust exerted by said piston-like member on said spring and means forlocking said spring-adjusting means in locked position after connectionis made to the actuator.

5. A tappet for internal combustion engines having a substantiallyspherical tappet face at one end thereof for cooperation with aspherical cup-like end of a push-rod, wherein said face is of smallerspherical size than the inside spherical shape of said cup-like end,whereby to permit lubricant to collect between non-contacting portionsof said tappet face and said cup-lik end, a bore extending through saidtappet coaxially, a piston-like member extending through said bore andbeyond the outside of said spherical tappet face centrally thereof, aspring within said bore adapted to urge said piston-like memberforwardly out of the bore, means at the other end of the tappet foradjusting saidspring whereby to regulate the recoil thrustexerted bysaid piston-like member on said spring and means for locking saidspring-adjusting means in locked position. d

SAMUEL G. HOUSER. JOSEPH F. KTBLER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number l lanie Date 1,172,362 Jackson Feb.-22,1916 1,318,609 Senkpiel Oct. 14, 1919 1,525,583 Koehler Feb. 10, 19251,729,468 Abbott Sept. 24, 1929 1,865,998 Abbott July 5, 1932 1,866,293Chandler July 5, 1932 2,042,884 Facchini June 2, 1936 2,075,811 KaufmannApr. 6, 1937

